The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

114 – Witch Hunt (2)

What on earth is she saying?

The news of the saintess’s pregnancy shook the already tense situation.

Did I hear that wrong?

Doubt spread across everyone’s faces.

Even Cyrel, who seemed ready to draw his holy sword at any moment, was frozen in place. The First Saintess representing the Holy Kingdom had suddenly revealed her pregnancy, momentarily losing her composure.

“Wah! What should I do, our child…! They haven’t even been born yet! To give up on the heir of the Hoenberk family like this! Please forgive me, my lord!”

The girl with flowing silver hair burst into tears, pleading. Through her exaggerated display, one could sense the cunning behind her actions.

Is she trying to take down Maximilian?

Something feels off, but it’s quite an excellent method.

As Jeblinne called for help, Maximilian, who had sided with Cyrel, halted his steps. He seemed momentarily taken aback by Jeblinne’s cry, claiming to be of the Hohenberg bloodline.

“The First Saint…! How can the saint representing the Holy Kingdom resort to such wicked schemes to evade an immediate crisis? Aren’t you ashamed?! A saint who should value purity above all else!”

Regaining her composure amidst the chaos, Cyrel shouted, aiming her sharp blade. Realizing she had been momentarily deceived by the cunning, she ground her teeth in frustration.

Pregnant? What a ridiculous notion.

It was clearly a ruse to gloss over the imminent danger.

To prove this, no signs of life stirred within Jeblinne’s womb. The protruding belly was likely just a change caused by the fabric of her clothing.

“Lower your sword.”

“…What?”

The commander of the knights, who had intended to drag out the sinner, was met with hostility. Surprisingly, the one who harbored this animosity was Maximilian, who had promised cooperation with the Holy Kingdom.

A chilling aura enveloped the scene.

Cyrel couldn’t help but tremble in tension.

“If it’s Ethan’s child… then that makes it my nephew.”

“Do you really believe such absurd lies? There’s not a hint of life’s pulse!”

“Dare you label the lady of the Hohenberg family a cowardly liar?”

“Damn it! This is pointless!”

With a fierce explosion, a heavy pressure began to weigh down. Cyrel and the holy knights, crushed under the oppressive force emanating from Maximilian, swallowed their breaths, sensing the looming crisis.

A glimmer of hope appeared.

Could it be that Maximilian would fall so easily?

With a triumphant smile alongside Jeblinne, she sought a way to escape the scene.

“Step back for now, Cyrel Veiled.”

“Honestly, you’re such a blockhead…! I never liked the idea of cooperating with you from the start!”

Cyrel was a hunting dog, absolutely loyal to the One True God and the Holy Kingdom. She was also a rival who had clashed with Maximilian, her fellow student, at every turn.

The Invincible Sword turned its tip.

Her blade was precisely aimed at the legendary hero of ages.

“Let’s take this opportunity to test the might of the Invincible Sword.”

“Grr! Are you provoking me?”

Cyrel Veiled had achieved a remarkable record of victories against the Demon King’s army and the cultist forces, earning the title of Invincible Sword from the Baltaria Empire and the Gael Holy Kingdom.

Invincible Sword.

It was the highest honor bestowed upon an indomitable warrior.

But Cyrel regarded the invincible sword’s anonymity as a shame.

Despite becoming the superhuman known as the Invincible Sword, he had never once defeated his rival, who was also his nemesis. He had recorded victories against the Demon King’s army and the cultist factions, yet the frustration and inferiority complex of not being able to triumph over his rival continued to whip his anger into a frenzy.

Maximilian, who was hopelessly insensitive to the consideration and understanding of others, had no way of knowing Cyrel’s inner turmoil, and thus continued to invoke the name of the Invincible Sword, worsening the situation further.

“Let’s retreat for now.”

“Okay.”

Maximilian finally drew the black-and-white holy sword.

As soon as I saw him, I pulled Jebeline’s hand and began to move.

* * *

The Holy Empire dispatched the commander of the knights, Cyrel Veilred, to apprehend Jebeline on the grounds of her alleged worship of the cult.

She might be a witch.

Attacking the First Saint without any evidence at all.

If it were to be revealed that the guardian dragon, which had protected the Holy Empire, was the sealed calamity of the one true god, it would cause an enormous uproar. Fearing the backlash, the cardinals attempted to capture Jebeline while concealing the truth.

“If the truth is exposed, the higher-ups of the Holy Empire certainly won’t escape unscathed. And the Earth Mother, who manipulated the calamity of innocence like a puppet, will also be swept up in the blame.”

“The past First Saints, who were blessed by the white dragon, would be the same.”

Jebeline wielded absolute influence within the Holy Empire, to the extent that even the Empire itself was suppressed. The cardinals’ decision to mobilize the Invincible Sword against her was truly a foolish act of recklessness.

It could easily lead to civil war.

Yet, the cardinals made the unprecedented blunder of labeling the First Saint as a witch.

Damn it.

Do they all intend to perish together in the sanctuary?

I clicked my tongue at the thought of the cardinals gathered in the cramped conference room, waiting for the outcome.

“I’m worried about my father-in-law and mother-in-law at the cathedral. They’re sure to come to harm…”

“That’s just unnecessary meddling.”

Boom!

Kwahwahwahwah!!!

The sound of explosions echoed.

Naturally, the starting point of the explosions was the Februa Cathedral.

The fight between the disciples, who had learned swordsmanship from the same master, had begun. The countless sword energies raining down from the sky spoke volumes of the chaos.

“E-explosion!”

“It’s the Februa Cathedral! Move quickly!”

The holy knights clad in resplendent armor swiftly headed towards the Februa Cathedral. They encountered us on the way to their destination, but no friction occurred.

Fortunately, the charges against Jeblinne were not fully disclosed. Thus, the ordinary paladins rushed to the scene of the explosion, leaving the First Saint behind.

What a relief.

I almost ended up clearing away several innocent corpses.

“I’ll need the quickest route to escape the sanctuary as swiftly as possible.”

“As long as we can get to the outskirts, we’ll be fine.”

Thanks to Maximilian’s betrayal, which easily overturned the cooperation with the Holy Kingdom, the escape went smoothly. If Maximilian hadn’t held back Cyrel, I would have surely faced some trouble.

Maybe I’ll express my gratitude when we meet again.

I’ll probably be captured by the paladins of the Holy Kingdom, so I should at least send some funds later.

“Where do you think you’re scurrying off to like a sewer rat, you harbingers of doom that lead humanity to destruction?”

As we passed through the maze-like corridors and reached the main road leading to the outskirts,

flames erupted.

It was an artificially conjured magical inferno.

A beautiful woman with flowing emerald-green hair emerged from the flames. Dressed in a dangerously revealing gown, she waved her hands like a conductor leading an orchestra, skillfully manipulating the fierce flames.

Whooosh!!

Krrrrrrrr──!!

In an instant, the flames surged and took shape.

Transforming into a massive beast, the fire roared and blazed even more fiercely.

“I don’t have any personal feelings about this. I’m reluctantly stepping in because it’s a task assigned by the Tower Master.”

“…Tower Master?”

Querisa Nesserhane.

The Sorcerer Duke Nesserhane.

The master of the Red Tower, renowned for its magical lineage, and the stepmother of the sage who is a member of the Saint’s party, a unique and unparalleled monster who has awakened the magics that exist in the world.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her a living workshop.

To oppose such a formidable figure meant a lifetime of misfortune.

“Edanant von Hoenberk. Can I see your skills?”

“I like twenty-seven-year-old ladies, but I’ll pass on grandmothers who have long surpassed seventy.”

I responded with a relaxed demeanor to the Tower Master’s provocation.

In return, I received a sharp sidelong glance from Jeblinne, filled with jealousy.

“You seem quite at ease even with the Tower Master right in front of you.”

“There’s no reason to fear someone like Grandma, who is turning seventy-five this year.”

Clang, clang, clang.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang──!!

As if declaring an all-out war, the ground split apart, and numerous pillars formed from rock shot up into the air. Following that, the pillars surrounded the arena like a dome, encircling everything.

Massive barriers were erected on all sides to block any external interference. This was the fighting style favored by the renowned archmages of the Magic Tower.

How arrogant.

Did they really think they could engage in a short-term battle against me and Jeblinne?

The head of the Magic Tower revealed his excitement at the fact that he was to face the calamity of innocence foretold by prophecy. From the very start, he unleashed high-level spells in rapid succession, as if to show off.

– I’ve experienced countless situations up until now… but I never imagined I would be facing a friend’s mother. What a ridiculous turn of events.

In an instant, the calamity of war was unleashed.

After all, the head of the Magic Tower was a formidable opponent, boasting the strongest firepower among the seven strongest in the nation.

I was clad in pitch-black armor.

And I extended my hand, armed with a gauntlet.

As the black haze shimmered, hundreds of weapons were summoned. Witnessing the grand spectacle before her, Querisa revealed a satisfied smile, her white teeth gleaming.

– Just wait a moment. I need to take the seventy-year-old grandma to the nursing home of the Kingdom of Seonghwang.

“Indeed, it’s typical of Ethan to give his all even against the young Rouinons.”

The goal of the Kingdom of Seonghwang was the rampage of famine.

Surely, they would push Jeblinne to her limits.

Clenching my fist, I recalled the image of Ludmila, who had rampaged to her breaking point while unleashing the calamity of tyranny. I felt a wave of nausea rise within me at the thought of the Kingdom of Seonghwang’s scheme to thoroughly sacrifice Jeblinne.